04/28/22

HAYS, Kan. – Nominees for three top commencement awards have been announced by the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association.

Twenty-one graduating seniors have been nominated for the 2022 Torch Award, the highest student honor, and 28 faculty members were nominated by members of the class of 2022 for the Pilot Award for an outstanding faculty member.

Eleven graduate students from the 2021-22 academic year (Fall 2021 and Spring 2022) were nominated for the Lighthouse Award to honor an outstanding student completing graduate studies.

The recipients of each award will be announced at a reception at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 3, in the Memorial Union Sunset Atrium. The announcement will be live streamed for those not able to attend in person. Live-stream details will be posted on the FHSU Alumni Association Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/FHSUalumni.

The Torch and Pilot Awards, created in 1974, and the Lighthouse Award, created in 2018, are presented annually during the spring semester.

Torch Award and Lighthouse Award candidates are nominated by FHSU faculty and staff on the basis of classroom excellence, leadership, participation in professional organizations, and involvement in student, civic, or research activities.

Pilot Award candidates are nominated by members of the graduating class on the basis of classroom excellence, ongoing research, and service activities.

Nominees for the Torch and Lighthouse Awards are listed alphabetically by their state (or country) and hometowns. Pilot Award nominees are listed alphabetically by last name.

Finalists for each award are denoted by an asterisk.

TORCH AWARD NOMINEES

KANSAS

BALDWIN CITY

Abigail Hayes, Criminal Justice

CUNNINGHAM

Jenna Fitzsimmons, Animal Science

EL DORADO

Sidney Sullivan, Political Science

ELLIS

Haley Reiter, Tourism and Hospitality Management

GREAT BEND

Molli Banks, Art History

GREENSBURG

Mackenzie Wertz*, Medical Diagnostic Imaging, emphasis in Ultrasound

HAYS

Erin Adams, History

Kelli Arnold, Organizational Leadership

Abby Kennemer, Organizational Leadership, minor in Psychology

JOHNSON

Meleny Jacome-Banuelos, Organizational Leadership

LAWRENCE

Spencer Manning*, Political Science, minor in Spanish

MINNEAPOLIS

Jaidyn McHenry, Radiologic Technology and Medical Diagnostic Imaging

SALINA

Hannah Feldman, English Education

TOPEKA

Riley Sanford*, Geology and Spanish

WICHITA

Alec Bevis*, Chemistry, emphasis in Biochemistry

COLORADO

LAS ANIMAS

Brooke Bronniman, Communication Sciences & Disorders

CHEYENNE WELLS

Nikki White, Medical Diagnostic Imaging

STERLING

Sadie Holloway, Communication Sciences & Disorders

STRASBURG

Josie Hemphill, English and Secondary Education

LITTLETON

Makenna Allen*, Marketing, concentration in Digital Marketing

INTERNATIONAL

ASUNCION, Paraguay

Mateo Rivarola, Finance

LIGHTHOUSE AWARD NOMINEES

KANSAS

GARDEN CITY

Ray Urbina, Health & Human Performance

GOODLAND

Samuel Ayers*, English

HAYS

Brooks Barber, Master of Liberal Studies in Corporate Communications

Alison Helget*, History

Drew O’Brien, Master of Business Administration in Finance

Morgan Weber, Speech-Language Pathology

Megan Zeman, Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership

McPHERSON

Madison Shandy*, Speech-Language Pathology

MISSOURI

Kansas City

Mary Kathy Robb*, Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics

TENNESSEE

Lebanon

Allison Argo, Education Specialist in Innovation and Leadership

INTERNATIONAL

HOHHOT, Nèi Měnggǔ (Inner Mongolia)

May Yu-Harper*, Master of Business Administration in Digital Marketing 

PILOT AWARD NOMINEES

Dr. Medhavi Ambardar, assistant professor, Biological Sciences

Dr. Gary Andersen, associate professor, Advanced Education Programs

Dr. David Fitzhugh, associate professor, Health and Human Performance

Dr. Anthony Gabel*, associate professor, Management

Dr. Justin Greenleaf, associate professor, Leadership Studies

Dr. Christine Hober*, professor, Nursing

Ms. Angie Howard, instructor, Psychology

Dr. Brittany Howell, associate professor, Agriculture

Ms. Jacque Jacobs, coordinator, Communication Sciences and Disorders

Ms. Shauna Keil, assistant professor, Nursing

Dr. Candace Mehaffey-Kultgen, assistant professor, Management

Dr. Robert Lloyd*, assistant professor, Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (international faculty)

Dr. Tamara Lynn, associate professor, Criminal Justice

Dr. Helen Miles*, assistant professor, Health and Human Performance

Ms. Hollie Marquess, instructor, History

Dr. Janett Naylor-Tincknell, professor, Psychology

Dr. Phillip Olt, assistant professor, Advanced Education Programs

Dr. Ziwei Qi, assistant professor, Criminal Justice

Mr. Jeremy Ryan, instructor, Agriculture

Dr. Samuel Schreyer, professor, Economics and Finance

Dr. Tanya Smith, associate professor, Nursing

Dr. Kevin Splichal, associate professor, Advanced Education Programs

Dr. Morgan Steele, assistant professor, Criminal Justice

Dr. April Terry, associate professor, Criminal Justice

Dr. Karen Thal, associate professor, Applied Business Studies

Dr. Edward Vengrouskie, instructor, Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (international faculty)

Dr. Whitney Whitaker, associate professor, Psychology

Mr. Kenneth Windholz*, instructor, Psychology